Vocational Evaluation/Rehabilitation Technology Specialization

Intended Outcome

Development of tool modification and accommodation: demonstrate familiarity with and use of testing accommodations or modifications to facilitate the vocational exploration of persons with disabilities through the modification of tests, work samples, job sites and training materials, as appropriate.

Communication of rehabilitation plan objectives and recommendations: demonstrate the ability to incorporate the potential of assistive technology to enhance performance potential in the vocational choices of persons with disabilities.

Vocational rehabilitation process and philosophy: outline and describe philosophical movements associated with vocational rehabilitation in the United States, describe the role of vocational rehabilitation/assessment in a diverse cultural environment, and describe the need that persons with disabilities have to be a part of society, focusing on strengths and assets that people bring with them to any situation.

Occupational Information: find and use various sources of national, state and local occupational information; link rehabilitation recommendations to the local labor market of the person being served.

Functional aspects of disability: develop knowledge of the functional characteristics of disability and understand the impact of evaluating the skill and abilities of a person with a disability.

Individualized vocational rehabilitation/evaluation planning: identify and delineate the individual needs of a person with a disability; state those needs in a plan for testing skills and abilities in relation to the accomplishment of a task or goal.

Vocational interviewing: demonstrate the development of rapport, provision of agency and assessment information, initial identification of client strengths and limitations through the vocational interview; and create an understanding of the process of vocational rehabilitation through the vocational interview.

Vocational report development and communication: interpret, analyze, and synthesize participant data in a coherent and concise manner that addresses needs, strengths, and assets of the participant and develops pertinent recommendations through a report shared orally and in writing with the participant/client and referral source/rehabilitation counselor.

Standardized testing: become familiar with the procedures for administering and interpreting standardized tests and application of tests to persons with disabilities, understand the impact of the disabling condition and the use of the most appropriate test, and develop a report explaining the impact of testing and using results with a vocational rehabilitation report.

Job and Training Analysis: perform a job analysis and develop a training analysis on a given job and do a written report; use the job analysis to determine the most appropriate evaluation tools to use with a person with a disability to measure performance ability; determine appropriate training or education to prepare for the job.

Functional Skills: use appropriate tools and strategies to evaluate the functional daily living skills of an individual with a disability, select appropriate method to determine level of functional skill, develop and use situational assessment to establish an  understanding of the individual functional skills of a person with a disability.

Assessment of Learning: demonstrate awareness of learning styles and modalities of teaching through use of selected tests, modify test administration to the demands of the learning/teaching situation.

Work samples and work sample systems: demonstrate appropriate use of work samples and work sample systems as means of assessment within a given occupation, demonstrate appropriate use of work samples and systems with different types of disabling conditions.

Behavioral Observation: observe and note behaviors of individuals during the assessment process as asset or limitation behaviors in relation to the accomplishment of a target goal.

Learning Activity

• “The Use of Assistive Technology” workshop, resulting in a report detailing the use and modification of testing strategies or *
• REHAB-360 Assistive Technology (2 cr.) *

•  

• “The Use of Assistive Technology” workshop, resulting in reports that include recommendations for the use of assistive technology or *
• REHAB-360 Assistive Technology
    *

•  

• Research paper describing process and philosophy or **
• Demonstrated work experience of three or more years and professional development credentials or **
• REHAB-101 Introduction to Rehabilitation (3 cr.) **

•  

• Demonstrate work experience as a job developer or placement specialist of two or more years or ***
• “Job Development and Placement and Occupational Information” workshop resulting in appropriate work recommendations in a written report or ***
• REHAB-310 Vocational Assessment Applications in Rehabilitation (3 cr.) or ***
• REHAB-410 Job Placement Processes (3 cr.) ***

•  

• Research paper on effect of disabling condition(s) in vocational rehabilitation or ****
• Test out with faculty-developed standardized test or ****
• REHAB-230 Psychosocial Aspects of Disability (3 cr.) ****

•  

• “Rehabilitation Planning” workshop resulting in written vocational rehabilitation plan or ♦
• Work experience of two or more years, one letter of reference from a supervisor, three letters of reference from professional referral sources, and five letters of reference from consumers of services or ♦
• REHAB-310 Vocational Assessment Applications in Rehabilitation
    ♦

•  

• “Vocational Interviewing and Facilitating Career Decision Making with Clients” workshop resulting in the videotaping of a vocational interview or ♦♦
• Demonstrate evidence of past work experience as a vocational counselor for two or more years or ♦♦
• Complete college level course work in vocational interviewing ♦♦

•  

• “Vocational Rehabilitation Report Development and Communication” workshop or ♦♦♦
• Four written reports addressing needs of four case studies presented during the workshop or ♦♦♦
• REHAB-310 Vocational Assessment Applications in Rehabilitation
    ♦♦♦

•  

• Previous college course work in the use of psychometric testing and principles of validity and reliability or ♦♦♦♦
• “Standardized Testing” workshop and paper describing use of standardized tests with persons with disabilities or ♦♦♦♦
• Past work experience of two years or more where responsibilities include administering and interpreting standardized tests with a supervisor’s letter and at least one referral source/rehabilitation counselor or ♦♦♦♦
• REHAB-420 Psychological Testing of Individuals with Disabilities (3 cr.) ♦♦♦♦

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• Read A Guide to Job Analysis or The Revised Handbook for Analyzing Jobs, participate in an online discussion of the materials and procedures of job analysis, select a job in the community that reflects occupational choices of agency participants, prepare a job analysis report, select and describe evaluation tools most appropriate for someone interested in the occupation or •
• REHAB-410 Job Placement Processes
    •

•  

• “Functional Skills Assessment” workshop and report or ••
• Demonstrate evidence of past work experience of two or more years involving vocational evaluation/ functional skills assessment and/or situational assessment with two letters of reference from referral sources or ••
• REHAB-470 Work Adjustment Services (2-3 cr.) ••

•  

• Previous college-level course work in educational psychology, special education, adult or vocational education that address issues of learning and learning styles and use of learning assessments or •••
• Paper describing learning styles and assessment of such styles, with assessment tool selection and modification •••

•  

• “Work Sample and Work Sample Systems” workshop and research paper or ◘
• REHAB-310 Vocational Assessment Applications in Rehabilitation
    ◘

•  

• Read appropriate, assigned material and develop a written behavior observation of five clients where observations were critiqued by at least two other professionals, including the referring counselor or ◘◘
• Demonstrate evidence of work experience in vocational rehabilitation/evaluation where duties included writing and/or noting behavioral observations, with a letter from a supervisor and two from referral sources attesting to accuracy and usability of the written behavioral observations, including examples of written behavioral observations ◘◘

Evaluation

* Faculty review and approval of report on use and modification of evaluation tools or Grade of “C” or better

** Faculty review and approval of research paper or work experience and professional credentials or Grade of “C” or better

*** Faculty review of work experience or faculty review and approval of report recommendations or Grade of “C” or better

**** Faculty review and approval of research paper or 80 percent or better on the standardized test or Grade of “C” or better

♦ Faculty review and approval of written rehabilitation plan of three separate case studies provided during workshop or Faculty review and approval of work experience and letters of reference or Grade of “C” or better

♦♦ Faculty review and approval of videotaped vocational interview or Faculty review and approval of work experience or Faculty review and approval of college level course work

♦♦♦ Faculty review and approval of the written report options and letters of reference or Grade of “C” or better

♦♦♦♦ Faculty review and approval of previous course work or Faculty review and approval of workshop paper or Faculty review and approval or work experience and letters of recommendation or Grade of “C” or better

• Faculty review and approval of the job and training analysis report and online discussion or Grade of “C” or better

•• Faculty review and approval of report or Faculty review and approval of work experience and letters of reference or Grade of “C” or better

••• Faculty review and approval of course work or Faculty review and approval of paper

◘ Faculty review and approval of research paper or Grade of “C” or better

◘◘ Faculty review and approval of observations, critiques and reports or Faculty review and approval of work experience, letters of reference, and examples of written behavioral observations